NEW YORK—The Children of Armenia Fund announced its annual Back to School appeal, which will provide support for the COAF Child and Family Center located in the village of Karakert, in Armenia’s Armavir region. The CFC serves as a safe haven for 400 young children, offering a range of programs including early childhood education, speech therapy, and mental health support. COAF strives to foster a love for learning, enhance creativity, and build resilience among children from 5 underserved communities.
The campaign aims to reach a fundraising goal of $120,000 which will cover the annual operations budget of the Center. The funds raised will allow COAF to continue to tackle significant challenges that hinder child development in Armenia’s rural regions, including limited access to quality early childhood education, social services, speech therapy, and psychological support. The Center aims to bridge these resource gaps by providing comprehensive services designed to meet the diverse needs of children and their families.
“Our Back to School appeal is about more than just getting kids ready for the classroom,” states Gayane Vardanyan, Village Programs Manager at COAF. “It’s about creating a safe, supportive environment where children can grow, learn, and dream of a brighter future. The Karakert CFC is a lifeline for these communities, and with the help of our generous supporters, we can continue to provide these vital services.”
The Karakert CFC has a proven track record of success. In the last year, 192 children have enrolled in early childhood education programs, 197 individuals received psychological support, 108 children overcame speech and learning difficulties through targeted therapy, and 178 families benefited from social work services.
All contributions will go directly toward the operation of the Karakert CFC, helping to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, play, and grow in a supportive environment. Donations can be made online, by phone at (212) 994-8243, or by mailing a check to 149 5th Ave, Suite 500, New York, NY 10010.
The Children of Armenia Fund is a non-profit, non-governmental organization aimed at improving the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on children and youth. COAF’s target development areas are education, healthcare, as well as social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in 2004, starting in one village and expanding to over 82 villages and communities across the country with an investment of more than $70 million, impacting well over 100,000 people across rural Armenia. The state-of-the-art COAF SMART Center located in the Lori region was launched in 2018 and offers education programs to over 2,000 children yearly. It is COAF’s ambition to expand the innovative SMART Center network across every region of Armenia.
